David loves all things eating. He loves eating anything and everything, in fact he even times himself when scarfing down pizza to see how he matches up to other competitive eaters. David’s ability to shove insane amount of food in stomach comes in handy when, he accidentally bids $2000 instead on $20 on a famous competitive eater’s half eaten hotdog on ByeBye.com. Now David has to come up with a plan to get $2000 before his mom realizes the charge is on the card. Turns out the local pizza chain is hosting their first ever competitive eating contest at the end of the summer and the prize is $5,000. David gets his besties to sponsor his entry and his summer adventure to win begins.
Archives: Book Reviews
The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
Peter Brown has created a sequel to his bestselling The Wild Robot which is absolutely terrific and brings the Wild Robot’s story to a well-earned conclusion while entrusting its young readers with very big ideas.
This is a story that envisions the future of our whole planet as seen by a robot whose life experience is a lot like our early human ancestors — but with fantastic artificial intelligence. However, Roz is eventually collected and returned to her factory of origin. Then she is sent to a small family dairy farm as the sole robot to run the farm, with the help of some amazing machinery. She befriends not only the cows but also the children, Jaya and Jed. Will she ever see her duck son again? Will she ever be able to return to the Island? How will she deal with predators when she is programmed not to use violence?
The Wild Robot Escapes is definitely meant to be read after reading the first book. If you haven’t yet read The Wild Robot and spent time wondering about all the questions it raises, do that first!
What I love most about Peter Brown’s two works is that he trusts young readers (this book could be read by 2nd graders) with the most sophisticated ideas coming out of adult science and speculative fiction. The two books together constitute a masterpiece of fiction and one that all ages should read and think about. We need every one of us to be engaged in our perilous journey on this small blue planet.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude has been raised at the High Court of the Faerie since she was small child. It has not been an easy life for her since most of the Fair Folk despise mortals and none despise humans more than Prince Cardan, the youngest and cruelest son of the high king. Prince Cardan takes every chance he gets to make Jude’s life miserable and make her feel as if she doesn’t belong, but despite all this Jude wants nothing more than to win a place for herself at court.
This desire leads her down a dangerous path when she strikes a bargain she doesn’t fully understand and forces her to betray both her family and the most powerful players in the Courts of the Faerie.
The Cruel Prince is a fast-paced with intrigue, mystery, twists, and action. Recommended for fantasy and YA readers.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Mateo and Rufus are called on the same day by Death Cast, a futuristic company that notifies people 24 hours before they die. They connect with each other using a location-based app called Final Friend and agree to spend their last day together helping one another live as best they can. An interesting concept and expertly defined and executed by Silvera, who is and remains one of my favorite current authors. However this was maybe not my favorite of his books. It lacks the emotional push and pull I come to expect from him, and likely would have worked better as a short story rather than a full-length novel. If you like Silvera as an author then you will probably find something about this book you will like, however if you haven’t read him before I would stick with his other two: More Happy than Not and History is All you Left Me.
Solo by Kwame Alexander
Blade is trying to escape his life. Born into a family of musicians, his dad Rutherford is in the headlines every other day for his drunken antics. Rutherford even crashed Blade’s graduation, where he was planning to perform an original song for the first time. Blade’s beginning to realize the love of his life, Chapel, might not be feeling the same way. To top things off in the midst of huge family fight Blade’s sister Storm announces that Blade is actually adopted. Blade decides he’s done with his family and he sets off to find his real mom in Ghana, but has no idea what truths await him there. Solo is written in verse and filled with music; including original pieces written by Blade (if you listen to the audio you can hear them too).
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
In this wonderful new graphic novel, Jen Wang has crafted an engaging fairy tale about a prince who loves to wear dresses and secretly becomes the daringly fabulous Lady Crystallia with the help of his private dressmaker and friend. How does the dressmaker break out of the Prince’s Secret to become the famous designer she’s meant to be? How does the prince handle his parents’ need to find him a wife? And how does the friendship survive all the changes they both need to make?
A graphic novel for those who love the Dress — and anyone who’s working hard to create a life that matches their heart.
Don’t miss this charmer of a story! The Prince and the Dressmaker can appeal to a very wide range of readers — from kids in Upper Elementary all the way through High School; I loved it.
They Say Blue, illustrated and written by Jillian Tamaki
2015 Caldecott Honor winner Jillian Tamaki usually creates graphic novels for older readers but here she presents a striking work for a younger picture book audience, and does so with amazing grace. With swirling brush strokes and flowing vibrant imagery, this philosophical creation gets inside the head of a curious girl thinking about the natural world around her, and, when thinking about the blood flowing in her veins and the heart pumping said blood, inside her. There isn’t a plot per se, but we readers follow the girl as she thinks about the colors around her, trying, for example, to understand why blue ocean water suddenly becomes clear as you hold it. Some of the spreads take on a whimsical quality, especially the one that shows her in a boat trying to sail on a field of grass that looks like a golden ocean. Tamaki gives us a surreal moment when the child, stretching her fingers to the sky, becomes a tree. Throughout, Tamaki creates surprising moments like this. The book joins a growing list of other child-friendly works (like Antoinette Portis’ Now and the lovely Life, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel and written by Cynthia Rylant) that give thoughtful kids something to think about as they examine beautifully rendered art.
The River Bank by Kij Johnson (A sequel to The Wind in the Willows)
Are you a The Wind in the Willows fan? Here at long last is a worthy sequel seemingly written by Kenneth Graham himself after being gently enlightened about women and privilege. The River Bank is incredibly funny yet full of detailed delight in nature as well as an exciting kidnapping for ransom. It does not require any real familiarity with The Wind in the Willows, either — it can stand alone beautifully.
The irrepressible Toad has another madcap adventure; he is again rescued by his good friends Water Rat, Badger and Mole. However, now they are joined by two bachelor women, Beryl Mole and her intrepid friend Rabbit! Beryl is an “Authoress” come to the River Bank for time and space to write, but what happens in life more than competes with her supernatural crime novels.
This book is even more effective when read aloud. I read it to my husband, (and yes, we laughed till we cried together) but reading this aloud to your kids one chapter a night before bed will make for a magical 12 days. Enjoy!
Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell
Cornwell is the author of many historical books including the bestselling Saxon Tales which serve as the basis for the hit television series, The Last Kingdom. He’s very good with tales of the sword and the sea, but can we trust him with Shakespeare?
Yes! This is a fast paced, well written, gorgeously researched book that entertains while also sharing the strange circumstances that led to the birth of professional theater. Cornwell’s main character is Shakespeare’s teen-aged brother Richard. The time period during which Shakespeare wrote both Midsummer’s Night Dream and Romeo and Juliet is our setting. You will feel yourself a young player in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and experience the unique market and religious pressures on actors and theater owners at that seminal time as well as the normal teenager needs of finding a profession and a partner.
As you race through the plot to find out what happens, don’t forget to slow down and enjoy it; you will miss Richard and Silvia and all their friends (and enemies) as soon as the last page is read!
Teddy’s Favorite Toy, written by Christian Trimmer, illustrated by Madeline Valentine
This delightful picture book introduces the reader to Teddy who has chosen the coolest toy ever to be his favorite: a doll named Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of Pacifica. This is no ordinary toy. Bren-Da has the best manners, fierce fighting skills, and can pull of a wide variety of super nifty looks. Illustrator Madeline Valentine has a blast capturing Bren-Da in her full glory, flying through the air doing a flying crane spinning split martial arts kick on page and then wearing a truly idiosyncratic outfit the next (love the rubber duck on her head). Christian Trimmer’s lively text keeps the action moving, especially when the main drama of the plot kicks in. Teddy accidentally breaks his favorite toy, and then wraps the wounded Bren-Da up in bandages. In a twist that has the reader yelling “oh, no,” mom accidentally mistakes the wrapped up doll for garbage and hands her off to the garbage collector. The book soars into action when Teddy cannot find his toy, panics, and mom realizes what she has done. She springs into action, becoming like a superhero to chase after the garbage truck to retrieve the toy. This funny and surprisingly suspenseful romp will have young readers cheering.